Hay and straw cutter



(No Model.)

W. BARRETT.

HAY AND STRAW' GUTTBR Y N0.A3Z-6,3182. Patented Sept. 15, 1885.`

I Wfl/192925072 Wllt'amael fi; /"L',

i' Viur-rm) u STATES PATENT Gatica.v

VILLIAM BARRETT, OF SEDALIA, MISSOURI.

HAY AND sTRAw CUTTER.

" SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 326,382, datedSeptember 15, 1885.

I Application filed August 30, 1884. (No model.)

To aZZ whom t may concern:-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM BARRETT, a

citizenof the United States, residing'at Se- .which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to hay and straw cutters; and it consists'incertain improvements upon the apparatus for which Letters Patent oftheUnited States were granted me the 8th day of February, 1881, No.237,466.

The invention consists more particularly in the combination, with thereciprocating knife, of a detachable pitman connected with a wrist-pinupon a shaft mounted in bearings in the lower part of the frame, saidshaft having a band-pulley, which may also serve as a fly, whereby thecutter may be operated by hand either with or without the fly toassistthe stroke, or be run by power, as circumstances may require.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a hay andstraw-cutting machine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is an endelevation.

The letter A in the drawings designates the feed-trougl1, which issupported upon a suitable frame, B, of the usual construction. Cindicates the reciprocating knife, which is arranged to operate at theforward end of the feed-trough, and D is the stationary knife secured tothe end of the trough, arranged to act in conjunction with the knife C.The cutv ting-edge of the latter is arranged at an angle of forty-fivedegrees with the stationary knife D, or thereabout, and is carried by aninclined knife-bar, E, moving in loops or guides, F F, mounted upon themachine-frame. An inclined brace-bar connects the upper end of the knifewith the knifevbar E, and the triangular space between the knife-bar,knife, and brace is closed by a sheet-metal plate, H, so that in liftingthe knife it will be impossi` ble for the ends of the hay or straw toproject over and be raised by the ascending knife. For the purpose ofholding the hay down, I' pivot within the trough just behind the knife aboard, I, thc edge of which rests upon the hay or straw with a yieldingpressure as the latter is fed along the trough.

The knife C may be reciprocated by a handle, K, having its end pivotedtoa togglelink, M, pivotally mounted upon the end of the frame B. Thebody ofthe handle is curved upward in order that it may not obstruct theopening between the knives through which straw or hay is fed, and it ispivoted to the knife-bar E by means of a stud or bolt, L.

A suitable grasp is formed at the end, and by operating this handle theknife may be operated, being guided by a vertical bar, O, secured to oneof the end standards of the main frame. A right-angled bar or plate, P,eX-

tends horizontally a little in front of the sta 65 tionary knife, andthe knife C reciprocates between the two, the said arm supporting theprojecting portions of the hay or straw While being severed.

At the base of the machine isV arranged a 7@ spring-plate, Q, inposition to be acted upon by the knife-bar after the latter has beendepressed, so as to take up the shock and aid the upward movement of theknife. This plate is held in place by a-loop or clip, Ihr/7,5

and may be readily removed, if desired.

To one side of the trough I bolt a bar, A, parallel with one of the endstandards at the forward end of the machine. This bar forms adrop-bearingfor one end of a shaft, B', the $0 other end being journaled in the end standard opposite. Upon this shaft is mounted abandpulley, C', having such weight that it may, if desired, be used as aiiy. Upon the end of said shaft which projects in front of the standardin which it is journalcd is mounted a crank-arm, D', having a wrist-pin,d, to which is connected one end of a pitman, E', having its other endpivotally connected to the stud or bolt L, by which the handle K is 9othe pulley C having weight sufficient to give it the function of afly-wheel; or, if desired, the pitman E may be disconnected `or thepulley C removed.

I am thus able, by the addition of very few and simple parts, to usethis form of cutter loo in three separate Ways. The fiy may be used, inconjunction with the spring-plate U, to

regulate and assist tliestroke, and, if desired; said plate mayberemoved .whe'n--th appa ratus is run by power.

Upon the toggle M is mounted a thin plate, m, which projects upward,lying between the stationary knife D and the bar P. The function of thisplate is to prevent theihayy v1on straw clogging at the point of thereciprocating cutter C. This is effected by the lateral oscillation ofthe plate M at each reciproca'YH tion ofthe knife.

The peculiar shape of the handle Kenables the machine to be operated,whenthe fly-wheel is attached, to better advantage.=`

Having thus described my invention, what- I claim is- 1. In 1a hay orstraw cutter, thef combfimam` tionwith therecjprocating. knife carriedlbya knife-bar, of a handle pivoted'tothelatterY while;V

vits end is connected with a toggle-link upontheA frame, ashaftjournaled below said `knife andi carrying a band-pulley, acrank-aixnruponthe end of said shaft, and a pitman connecting said`crank with the knife-bar, whereby the cutter may be operated by handerbypovverfsub-l stantially as described.

`2. In a hay-cutter, the combination,withlthe reciprocating knife, theknife-banhaving apimjecting' lower end; 'a shaft yjotu'naled below-saidknife and carrying a band-pulley, a 3o crank-arm upon the end of saidshaft, a pitman connecting said crank-arm and knife-bar, and a springplate beneath the end of the Iknife-)bamtof-:ttake up ther shock causedby a reversal of movement and the upward reciprocation of theknife,substantially as described. 3. Thecombinatiomwith the stationaryknife Dand reciprocating cutter C, of the actuatings handle K, toggle-1ink M, iand cleaning-plate m, substantially as described. L v i( 4I: Thecombination, with the knife D, reciprocating cutter C, andactuating-handle K,

pivoted upon a toggleflink-Mbfoa .c1 plate, imf'i mounted 1 rigidly,upunmaidsto'ggh flink, Aandan :han P, 'betwnfwhikh iandntbo k nife Dthe plate. rcciprccategnsubstautilliym as ide'senibed. i`

y In testimony'whereofsl hvefhemu my hand in`theefpnesencc ofi-two` wwitnessesr` WILLIAMWBARREFT Witnesses:`

. C.` J oHNsoNf EBEN E. CLARK.:

